Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes!!!!

  by Ruthanne

Two years ago today, I started a blog.  I had no idea it would blossom into what it is today, and no idea I would have so much fun with it!  I’ve made such great new friends, learned so much about photography and design, and loved every second of the process.
In honor of our anniversary, I chose the recipe that is (by far!) the most visited on the site and re-made it in cupcake form.  Strawberry Lemonade Cake is already on the Easybaked site twice:

Strawberry Lemonade Layer Cake                       Strawberry Lemonade Birthday Cake
The Layer Cake is more like a torte, the lemonade mixture is more like a filling than a frosting.
The Birthday Cake has a lemonade frosting, and it is one of my very favorite frostings ever.  It’s soooo creamy and light.
Both recipes top the list of my most popular recipes, together they have been viewed just over 435,000 times (as of today…!)
It seemed fitting that I feature everyone’s favorite recipe to celebrate two years with all of you~ so let me present:  Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes:


These are easy to make (much easier than a layer cake, in my opinion) and just the yummiest treat.  I loved the pink wrappers and the paper straws I found for these- I think they would be such a fun shower, picnic or birthday party treat!!
INGREDIENTS:

 #1 Rated Silicone Baking Cups / Cupcake Liners - 24-Pack - Never Buy Paper Cups Again -     Lifetime Guarantee!

• One box of strawberry cake mix (plus oil, water and eggs as directed on box)
• 2- 8oz. packages of Philadelphia Cream Cheese (softened to room temp.)
• 1 packet (0.23oz.) of Kool-Aid Lemonade
• Yellow food coloring  (as desired for color)
• 1- 7oz. container Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Creme
• 1/3 c. powdered sugar
• 8 oz. Cool Whip Topping
• Confetti sprinkles and paper straws to decorate as desired

DIRECTIONS:
          
            The Betty Crocker The Big Book of Cupcakes

• Make cake according to box and bake in 24 cupcake liners placed in cupcake tins, as directed.  Cool completely.
• In a mixing bowl, cream together cream cheese, lemonade and yellow food coloring until smooth.
• Beat marshmallow creme and powdered sugar into cream cheese mixture and then fold in Cool Whip until completely smooth.  
• Spoon frosting into a zip top bag that has a piping tip inserted into one corner (I used a Wilton 1M star tip).
• Pipe frosting on tops of each cupcake- you can be generous, as this recipe makes a lot of frosting and the frosting is so light and fluffy.
• Decorate as desired.
• Refrigerate and serve chilled.  
• Enjoy!!!!!

My thoughts:  A tried-and-true recipe in a fun new format…what’s not to love about that?!?  I’m incredibly thankful for all of YOU who visit, comment, “like”, rate and (most of all) MAKE the recipes I create!  I had no idea how much I would love hearing from complete strangers that a recipe “made my husband’s birthday perfect” or “made all the kids at the party laugh”.  When I hear how happy a recipe makes you and your family it literally makes my day…and fuels my desire to bake and share more!  Here’s to another year of Easybaked recipes!  Enjoy!  ~r

06-13-14 Did you know, that this recipe is now available in a set of adorable note cards? With a picture of these cupcakes on the front, the recipe on the back, and lots of space inside to write a note, these are a PERFECT little gift!  Why send just a card, when you can send the gift of a recipe as well?!?  Click here for more information and to order.
       

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Sugar Cookie Cupcakes with Very Vanilla Frosting and a Cupcake Cupcake Topper

Sugar Cookie Cupcakes with Very Vanilla Frosting and a Cupcake Cupcake Topper

For those of you that know me, you know my birthday was back in November. These adorable little cupcakes were in fact the cupcakes I made for my birthday. You see, I made a lot of cupcakes in 2010 which have now turned in a backlog of recipes and pictures that I need to share with you. In total I have seven cupcake recipes that I want to share with you. I thought about doing a month of cupcakes, but I don't want you to get bored so I am going to spread them out. It works out well because this is my busiest time of year at work and I may not be baking every week.

Anyway, back to these cupcakes. Vanilla has to be one of my favorite flavors, if not my favorite. Since I love vanilla so much I decided that was exactly what I wanted for my birthday. The last several years Zack baked my birthday treat, but unfortunately he was out of town for work on my birthday this past year. Several people offered to make me something, but I really wanted to make these cupcakes and that is exactly what I did. They were so delicious! The cupcake was wonderful and the frosting is my absolute favorite frosting. I have to chew gum while making it and decorating or else I eat it straight out of the bowl. I got the idea for the adorable little cupcake toppers (which are frosted mini Reese's cups) from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen. She has a ton of great stuff on her blog, so if you have not checked it out, you definitely should.

Sugar Cookie Cupcakes
recipe by Baked Perfection

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sour cream
Sunbeam FPSBCMM901 Mini-Cupcake Maker, Pink
In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla; mix well. Add the flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream (batter will be thick). Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups with 1/4 cup of batter. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Recipe makes approximately 30 cupcakes.

Very Vanilla Frosting

recipe by Baked Perfection

2 sticks of butter, softened

6 cups powdered sugar

pinch of salt

3 tablespoons vanilla extract

2 -4 tablespoons milk

Presented by Southern Living Big Book of Cupcakes: 150 Brilliantly Delicious Dreamcakes

Beat butter and vanilla until creamy. Add salt. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating until combined. Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach desired consistency.

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Frozen blue velvet Cupcakes

Frozen blue velvet Cupcakes

I’ve never been one to choose a red velvet cupcake, I am a chocolate girl all of the way, but I have to tell you these cupcakes are ah-mazing! Not just a pretty face, they are impressively good (even with my average baking skills). And paired with the buttercream frosting, oh my! 
Cupcake Ingredients 

• 2 ½ cups cake flour
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 ¼ cups vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1 tbsp. dark blue food coloring
• 1 tiny dab violet gel food coloring
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. white vinegar

Buttercream Frosting Ingredients

• 2 ½ sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 ½ cups confectioners sugar (10 oz)
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp. heavy cream 
•  Pantry Elements® Silicone Baking Cups - Set of 12 Reusable Cupcake

To give them just the right Frozen look I decorated my cupcakes with Wilton baking cups and  Wilton Sugar Pearl Sprinkles.
Tip – The recipe calls for a dab of violet gel food coloring, which I used. It looks pretty, but it is darker than I anticipated. Next time I make Frozen cupcakes, I will forgo the violet.

Blue Velvet Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Insert cupcake liners or spray cupcake pan with non-stick spray.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla, and vinegar. Whisk vigorously until well combined and smooth. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and whisk until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
Divide the batter evenly in the cupcake tray, filling each hole about ¾ fill. Bake for 17-19 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly pressed with your fingertip and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cupcakes cool for a few minutes. Remove them from the pans to cool completely.500 Cupcakes: The Only Cupcake Compendium You'll Ever Need

Buttercream Frosting

In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer for about 20 seconds. Add the confectioners sugar and salt and beat at medium-low to incorporate the sugar. Increase the speed the medium and beat until filly combined, about 30 seconds, scrapping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Add the vanilla and heavy cream and beat on medium speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium-height and beat for about 4 minutes, or until the mixture is very light and fluffy. You may need to scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Frost the cupcakes once they are completely cool.

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Chocolate Cupcakes with Penuche Filling

 

 

Cupcakes

1

box Betty Crocker™ SuperMoist™ chocolate fudge cake mix

Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box

1

teaspoon vanilla

Filling and Garnish

1

cup butter or margarine

2

cups packed brown sugar

1/2

cup milk

4

cups powdered sugar

1

oz grated semisweet baking chocolate, if desired

 Pantry Elements® Silicone Baking Cups - Set of 12 Reusable Cupcake

Directions

• 1 Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place Reynolds Baking Cups in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. Make and cool cupcakes as directed on box for 24 cupcakes--except add vanilla to batter.
• 2 Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly; reduce heat to low. Boil and stir 2 minutes. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling; remove from heat. Pour mixture into medium bowl; refrigerate 1 hour or until lukewarm, about 90°F.
• 3 Beat powdered sugar into cooled brown sugar mixture with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. If filling becomes too stiff, stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time. If filling is too soft, cover; return to refrigerator 15 minutes to firm up.
• 4 Remove Reynolds Baking Cups from cupcakes. Using serrated knife, cut each cupcake in half horizontally, being careful not to break either half. Place heaping 1 tablespoon filling on each cupcake base. Replace rounded cupcake tops. Pipe or spoon rounded 1 tablespoon frosting onto cupcake tops. Garnish with grated chocolate. Store in airtight container at room temperature.                            

Red Velvet Cupcakes

It's the time of year for every food blogger to post something red velvet, so I figured I had better jump on the wagon. The L-O-V-E holiday is coming up in less than a week, and if you haven't made one of these, it's about time! What's the deal with red velvet you ask? Well, it's a buttermilk cake with a hint of cocoa in it. It definitely doesn't taste like chocolate. It's a bit tangy, and when paired with cream cheese frosting, it's pretty incredible. Plus, it's pretty. And we all love that, right?

I have tried several red velvet cake recipes, and this is my favorite by far. They have great flavor, they're not dry, and they are bright red. Last year I made mini green velvet cupcakes for St. Patrick's Day, so know that you can substitute out the food coloring if you want to go with something different. It was a fun change! I almost always use gel food color, but with these you'll need the liquid. Do yourself a favor and buy the separate bottle of red food color that is one ounce. Perhaps if you don't have to measure anything, maybe you can do a better job of avoiding getting red dye everywhere. Including on your hands and under your nails. Or maybe that's just me who does that every.single.time!

Red Velvet Cupcakes Recipe
Makes about 20
Print this recipe

*If you're baking at high altitude, please follow the * adjustments!

For the cupcakes:
1 cup shortening
1 3/4 cup sugar
2 1/4 cup cake flour
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs (*3 eggs*)
1 cup (*plus 2 tablespoons*) buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon (*3/4 teaspoon*) baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
1 ounce red food color
1 1/2 teaspoons cocoa powder 

For the cream cheese frosting:
1 1/2 packages cream cheese (12 ounces)
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 pounds powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
Pantry Elements® Silicone Baking Cups - Set of 12 Reusable Cupcake
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (*375 degrees for high altitude*).

In your mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the shortening and sugar. In a large liquid measuring cup, combine the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, baking soda, vinegar, and salt. Add the flour into the mixing bowl in three additions, alternating with the wet ingredients. Start and end with the flour. Once combined, stir together the red food color and cocoa powder in a small bowl. Add into the batter and mix just until incorporated.

Divide the batter into muffin tins with liners, filling each with about 1/4 cup of batter. Bake for 15-17 minutes (*12-15 minutes*) or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for a few minutes and then remove from the pan to cool completely.

While the cupcakes are cooling, make the cream cheese frosting. In your mixing bowl fitted with the paddle, cream together the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and salt and mix until incorporated. Add the powdered sugar in three additions and mix until smooth. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

Source: The Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook

     

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Caramel Apple Cupcakes Recipe

It’s officially fall and this Caramel Apple Cupcakes Recipe will be a great dessert idea. We love caramel and apples together. We are always whipping up fun apple and caramel desserts. I have shared quite a few with you like Our CopyCat Starbucks Caramel Apple Spice, Traditional Caramel Apples, Caramel Apple Dip and also a Snickers Caramel Apple Salad. I decided I needed a yummy cupcake to enjoy this weekend for dessert. Cake mixed with caramel, apples and oh goodness the nuts! YUM!

Caramel Apple Cupcakes Recipe

After making our caramel apples i popped a stick in them to replicate a real caramel apple. Too cute I must say!

This Caramel Apple Cupcakes Recipe uses a Spiced Cake Box Mix. You could always use a spice cake mix from scratch too! I also did the caramel the easy way and used some Kraft Caramels I had purchased on sale. Simple but so tasty.

INGREDIENTS
1 box Spice Cake Mix
1 cup Apple Juice
1/3 cup Vegetable Oil
3 Eggs
1 Granny Smith Apple, peeled cored and shredded
10 oz Caramels (about 36)
1/4 cup Milk
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
24 wooden sticks
 Pantry Elements® Silicone Baking Cups - Set of 12 Reusable Cupcake

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350.
Line muffin pan with paper liners.
Combine cake mix, apple juice, vegetable oil, and eggs in a large bowl.
Mix until well blended.
Mix in shredded apple, and fill the prepared liners about 2/3 full.
Bake about 20 minutes or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
Allow to cool.
Melt the caramels with milk over low heat until smooth, stirring constantly.
Spread melted caramel over the cupcakes.
Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and insert a wooden stick into the center of each.




These Caramel Apple Cupcakes would make a great addition to your fall party dessert tables too. You could leave the nuts off of a few for those “non-nut eaters”. I personally love to load mine up with extra peanuts. yum!

Caramel Apple Cupcakes Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 box Spice Cake Mix
• 1 cup Apple Juice
• 1/3 cup Vegetable Oil
• 3 Eggs
• 1 Granny Smith Apple, peeled cored and shredded
• 10 oz Caramels (about 36)
• 1/4 cup Milk
• 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
• 24 wooden sticks

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Line muffin pan with paper liners.
• Combine cake mix, apple juice, vegetable oil, and eggs in a large bowl.
• Mix until well blended.
• Mix in shredded apple, and fill the prepared liners about 2/3 full.
• Bake about 20 minutes or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
• Allow to cool.
• Melt the caramels with milk over low heat until smooth, stirring constantly.
• Spread melted caramel over the cupcakes.
• Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and insert a wooden stick into the center of each.
•  Martha Stewart's Cupcakes: 175 Inspired Ideas for Everyone's Favorite Treat

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Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Spiced cupcakes are filled with fresh apples and then topped with caramel sauce and a thick caramel icing in these Caramel Apple Cupcakes that are perfect for fall.

Well, I caved. I know the official start of fall isn’t for a couple more weeks, but I couldn’t help myself. I’ve spent too much time on Facebook and Pinterest lately, and all everyone is talking about is apple and pumpkin. So even though the days may still be hot as can be, it looks like you all are ready to turn to fall.
(But don’t worry – I’m sure I’ll still have another summer recipe or two thrown in the mix before the summer is officially gone!)
I love making cupcakes. I would seriously make a new one every week if I could get away with it. And while I do enjoy eating them, I really have fun creating them. And these Caramel Apple Cupcakes were no exception. I actually ran across a caramel apple cupcake recipe in a cookbook, but the recipe started with a cake mix and the topping was simply caramel sauce drizzled on the top. And while I’m sure those cupcakes were just fine, and maybe even delicious, I knew I wanted something more.

So I went to town. I had my family to test these on, and from what I could tell, everyone loved them. I know I did. I sampled way too many of them, so I had to leave them all behind at my sister’s house so that I would stay away from them.
For the Caramel Apple Cupcakes, you start with a simple spiced cupcake, and then load in the fresh apples. I used granny smith apples so that the tart apple flavor would shine through. The cupcakes are baked and then cooled. I knew I wanted to add the caramel icing, but I wanted to add another layer of caramel as well. I had seen people do caramel candy melted with cream or evaporated milk, but I know that you have to get the temperature just right, otherwise it will totally harden so that you can’t even bite into it. My solution? The caramel dip that you can find in the produce section of the grocery store. It’s thick enough to stay in place on top of the cupcake, but stays soft and delicious.
The caramel icing isn’t your typical cupcake icing. It’s much thicker, not like most light and fluffy frostings. But I love this stuff. It does harden if you don’t work fast enough, so be prepared to make the icing and pipe it on right away.
These caramel apple cupcakes scream fall, and I’m excited to be welcoming in fall baking. There’s nothing better than a house that smells like sweet spices while you are baking!

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Yield: 24 cupcakes

Spiced cupcakes are filled with fresh apples and then topped with caramel sauce and a thick caramel icing in these Caramel Apple Cupcakes that are perfect for fall.

Ingredients

Cupcakes:
• 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 cups chopped tart apples
Topping
• 1/2 cup caramel apple dip (found in the produce section)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
•  Pantry Elements® Silicone Baking Cups - Set of 12 Reusable Cupcake

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Line 24 muffin tins with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Add in the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
3. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and cloves.
4. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix until combined. Add half of the milk, mix, then 1/2 of the remaining flour, the remaining milk and then the remaining flour, beating in-between additions. Stir in the chopped apples.
5. Divide the mixture between the prepared cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake until the center springs back when touched, about 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
6. Spread about 1 teaspoon of the caramel topping on top of each cupcake.
7. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and cook until dissolved, a few minutes. Stir in the cream. Remove from the heat and add in half of the powdered sugar. Beat until combined, then add the remaining powdered sugar. Add the vanilla then beat until smooth and shiny. Transfer to a piping bag and pipe the frosting on top of the caramel sauce.      Martha Stewart's Cupcakes: 175 Inspired Ideas for Everyone's Favorite Treat                                                                                                                                                         
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Simple and Sweet Peanut Butter & Jelly Mini Cupcakes

 

 

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:
1 box yellow cake mix, like Betty Crocker Super Moist
1 1/4 cups water
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
For the frosting:
1/2 cup heavy cream
6 ounces cream cheese
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the filling:
1 cup grape or strawberry jam

Pantry Elements® Silicone Baking Cups - Set of 12 Reusable Cupcake

Directions

1. To make cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350ºF and place mini baking liners in mini muffin tins.
2. In a large bowl, beat together cake mix, water, peanut butter, vegetable oil, and eggs until combined. Divide batter into mini cupcake wells, filling each well about 2/3 full. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool.
3. To make frosting: Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or using a hand mixer, whisk heavy cream until soft peaks form.
4. In another large bowl, beat together cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, salt, peanut butter, and vanilla on medium speed, until combined. Then carefully fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter icing until smooth and fluffy.
5. To assemble cupcakes: Fit a piping bag with a star tip, then fill the bag with jam. Inject the tip into the center of each cupcake and squeeze to fill the center of the cupcake with jam, just until it swells but does not overflow.
6. Into a second piping bag, fill grape jam on one side and peanut butter frosting on the other side. Pipe frosting into a swirl on each cupcake. Let cupcakes set in the fridge for about 15 minutes before serving.
7.  Martha Stewart's Cupcakes: 175 Inspired Ideas for Everyone's Favorite Treat